DETAILED ACTION
Status of the Claims
Applicant’s amendment filed 4 December 2025 is acknowledged. Claims 1, 4, and 6 have been amended, claim 3 has been canceled, new claims 12-14 have been introduced, and claims 1, 2, and 4-14 remain pending.
Applicant’s arguments regarding the rejection of the bent parts of claim 3, the limitations of which have been incorporated into amended claim 1, are persuasive. However, new grounds of rejection are presented below, which are NOT necessitated by amendment, and so this action is made NON-FINAL.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4 and 9-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shin et al. (KR20190106311 A, hereinafter “Shin”; listed in the IDS filed 20 December 2022; using the attached English machine translation), in view of Hoshino et al. (DE 102016225598 A1, hereinafter “Hoshino”; listed in the IDS filed 20 December 2022; using the attached English machine translation) and Spencer (US 7,344,421).
Regarding claim 1, Shin teaches a battery module comprising:
a plurality of battery cells (pouch-type battery cells, see Fig. 1; [0030]-[0032]);
an external terminal (positive terminal 300a, see Fig. 1; [0030]) electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells (see [0030]) and provided in front of or to the rear of the plurality of battery cells (front, see Fig. 1); and
a cover plate (protective cover 400, see Fig. 1; [0030]) including an electrically insulating material (see [0057]) and configured to cover at least one side of the plurality of battery cells (see [0057] and Figs. 1 and 5-7).
Shin is silent to the cover plate including:
an exposure hole formed to expose at least a portion of the external terminal; and
a protection portion having a plate shape protruding forward or rearward from each of both sides of the exposure hole in a left-right direction to form an accommodating space for accommodating a portion of the external terminal, and an upper portion and a lower portion of the accommodating space being open.
Hoshino teaches a battery module (energy storage device 1, see Fig. 1; [0052]) comprising:
a cover plate (leftmost end plate 30, see Fig. 2; [0052]) configured to cover at least one side of the plurality of battery cells (see Figs. 1-2), the cover plate including:
an exposure hole formed to expose at least a portion of the external terminal (see Fig. 6 – external terminal 61 is exposed so it must have a hole formed); and
a protection portion (connection platform 6, see Fig. 6; [0079]) having a plate shape protruding forward or rearward from each of both sides of the exposure hole (forward, see Fig. 6) in a left-right direction to form an accommodating space (see Fig. 6) for accommodating a portion of the external terminal, and an upper portion and a lower portion of the accommodating space being open (see Fig. 6). Hoshino’s structure helps to prevent the displacement of a conductive element in a direction away from the end plate (see [0031]).
In view of Hoshino’s teachings, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the module of Shin to include a cover plate including: an exposure hole formed to expose at least a portion of the external terminal, and a protection portion having a plate shape protruding forward or rearward from each of both sides of the exposure hole in a left-right direction to form an accommodating space for accommodating a portion of the external terminal, and an upper portion and a lower portion of the accommodating space being open, as taught by Hoshino, because it helps to prevent the displacement of a conductive element in a direction away from the end plate.
The combination of Shin and Hoshino is silent to wherein the protection portion comprises:
extension parts extending forward or rearward from both sides of the exposure hole of the cover plate in the left-right direction, respectively; and
bent parts extending from respective ends of the extension parts in a protrusion direction to be bent in a left direction or a right direction.
Spencer teaches a quick release battery cable connector (see 1:35-42), comprising a protection portion which comprises:
extension parts (upwardly extending portions 26, see Fig. 2; 3:25-52) extending forward (forward, see Fig. 2) or rearward from both sides of the exposure hole of the cover plate in the left-right direction (see Fig. 2; 3:1-52), respectively; and
bent parts extending from respective ends of the extension parts in a protrusion direction to be bent in a left direction or a right direction (equated to inwardly extending portion 28 that are bent in a left direction or a right direction, see Fig. 2; 3:25-52). Spencer teaches that the connector can be connected and disconnected from the bracket quickly and with the use of minimal tools (see 5:47-55).
In view of Spencer’s teachings, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the battery module of the combination of Shin and Hoshino to include wherein the protection portion comprises:
extension parts extending forward or rearward from both sides of the exposure hole of the cover plate in the left-right direction, respectively, and bent parts extending from respective ends of the extension parts in a protrusion direction to be bent in a left direction or a right direction, because it allows for connections and disconnections from the bracket quickly and with the use of minimal tools.
Regarding the functional language (e.g., formed to expose at least a portion of the external terminal, to form an accommodating space for accommodating a portion of the external terminal), the Examiner has considered it. However, the Applicant is reminded that apparatus claims are not limited by the function they perform, as per MPEP §2114. While features of an apparatus may be recited either structurally or functionally, claims directed to an apparatus must be distinguished from the prior art in terms of structure rather than function. As the apparatus of the prior art and the claimed apparatus are patentably indistinguishable in terms of structure, the apparatus of the prior art is reasonably expected to be able to perform the claimed functionalities.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Shin, Hoshino, and Spencer teaches a connection member including:
an extension (Spencer: cable C, see Fig. 1) extending from the accommodating space of the protection portion to the open upper or lower portion (Spencer: lower portion, see Fig. 1); and
a connection terminal (Spencer: connector 12, see Fig. 1) connected to an end of the extension (Spencer: see Fig. 1) and configured to electrically contact the external terminal (Spencer: see Fig. 1; 2:51-3:14).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Shin, Hoshino, and Spencer teaches a terminal cover (Spencer: connector 12, see Fig. 1) fixed to the bent parts of the protection portion (Spencer: see Fig. 7) to cover at least one side of the accommodating space of the protection portion (Spencer: see Fig. 7 – connector 12 would cover front portion of accommodating space of the protection portion).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Shin, Hoshino, and Spencer teaches a side cover (Shin: end plate 130 comprising an upper plate 131 and left and right side plates 132, see Fig. 1; [0038]) having an end coupled to the cover plate (Shin: see Figs. 1 and 6) and covering a lateral portion of the plurality of battery cells (Shin: see Figs. 1 and 6).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Shin, Hoshino, and Spencer teaches a battery pack comprising at least one battery module according to claim 1 (see rejection for claim 1 above).
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Shin, Hoshino, and Spencer teaches a power storage device comprising at least one battery module according to claim 1 (see rejection for claim 1 above).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Shin, Hoshino, and Spencer is silent to wherein the exposure hole is located at an upper portion of the protection portion. However, the particular placement of the exposure hole is merely a matter of design choice especially because it would not have modified the operation of the device. See MPEP §2144.05(VI)(C).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Shin, Hoshino, and Spencer teaches wherein the bent parts (Spencer: equated to inwardly extending portion 28 that are bent in a left direction or a right direction, see Fig. 2; 3:25-52) overlap the external terminals in a horizontal direction (Spencer: see Figs. 1-7).
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Shin, Hoshino, and Spencer is silent to wherein a length of the bent parts (Spencer: equated to inwardly extending portion 28 that are bent in a left direction or a right direction, see Fig. 2; 3:25-52) in a vertical direction corresponds to a length of the protection portion in the vertical direction. However, this is merely a change in shape which would have been a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration was significant. See MPEP §2144.04(IV)(B).
Claim(s) 5 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of Shin, Hoshino, and Spencer as applied to claim 4 above, and further in view of Fukuda (US 6,341,990).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Shin, Hoshino, and Spencer teaches wherein the terminal cover comprises:
a body portion (Spencer: body 40 of connector 12, see Fig. 1; 3:53-4:8) configured to cover a front side or a rear side of the accommodating space of the protection portion (Spencer: front side, see Figs. 1 and 7).
The combination of Shin, Hoshino, and Spencer is silent to a locking portion extending from a first end of the body portion in a bent form to cover the upper portion or the lower portion of the accommodating space of the protection portion and configured to be supported by an upper end or a lower end of the protection portion.
Fukuda teaches a cover 20 provided as a resin-molded product for the purpose of insulating and protecting the battery terminal 10A (see 4:48-50). Fukuda teaches a locking portion extending from a first end of the body portion in a bent form (equated to cover 20 with bent curve portion that correlates to the curve of U-shaped curve portion 12, see Figs. 6-9) to cover the upper portion or the lower portion of the accommodating space of the protection portion (upper portion, see Figs. 6-9 – accommodating space of Fukuda equated to recess 1a and cover 20 covers at least the side closest to battery post 2, which is equated to the upper side) configured to be supported by an upper end or a lower end of the protection portion (locking projection 25 formed on the lock arm 23 engages with hole 5, see Figs. 6-9 – the hole 5 appears to be in the middle of the projection portion so it can be said that it is supported by either the upper or lower end of the protection portion of Fukuda. Alternatively, the particular placement of hole 5 is merely an obvious matter of design choice at the time the invention was filed. See MPEP §2144.04(VI)(C)).
In view of Fukuda’s teachings, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the battery module of the combination of Shin, Hoshino, and Spencer to include a locking portion extending from a first end of the body portion in a bent form to cover the upper portion or the lower portion of the accommodating space of the protection portion and configured to be supported by an upper end or a lower end of the protection portion, because it can be used for the purpose of insulating and protecting the battery terminal.
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Shin, Hoshino, Spencer, and Fukuda teaches wherein the terminal cover (Spencer: connector 12, see Fig. 1) further comprises a guide portion (Spencer: first clamp member 50, see Figs. 1, 5, and 6) provided on a second end of the body portion (Spencer: see Figs. 1, 5, and 6) and including an insertion groove formed by recessing a portion of the guide portion (Spencer: channel 52 equated to an insertion groove).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 7 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 6: The prior art, either taken alone or in combination, fails to teach:
wherein the terminal cover comprises:
a first fixing rib extending from the body portion to face an outer surface of one of the bent parts of the protection portion; and
a second fixing rib extending from the body portion to face an inner surface of one of the bent parts of the protection portion, and
the bent parts of the protection portion is interposed between the first fixing rib and the second fixing rib.
Claim 7: Depends directly from claim 6.
Response to Arguments
On pages 6-11 of the remarks, Applicant argues that neither Shinn nor Hoshino, either taken alone or in combination, teaches amended claim 1 which now requires wherein the protection portion comprises:
extension parts extending forward or rearward from both sides of the exposure hole of the cover plate in the left-right direction, respectively; and
bent parts extending from respective ends of the extension parts in a protrusion direction to be bent in a left direction or a right direction.
Applicant’s arguments regarding the bent portions of the previous combination of Shin and Hoshino are found persuasive. However, a new ground or rejection has been presented above which rejects the bent parts in view of Shin, Hoshino, and Spencer (see rejection for claim 1 above).
Conclusion
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/S.S.H/Examiner, Art Unit 1735 19 May 2026
/KEITH WALKER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1735
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